Sixty-four year-old Bala Gangadhara Tilak collects unclaimed tar and gravel to fill potholes on roads
Katnam Bala Gangadhara Tilak, a retired employee, is a man on a mission.
Whenever he ventures out in his car, he is on the lookout for tar mixed gravel dumped on roadsides. One might wonder why a senior citizen is looking for a tar and gravel on the roads. Well, Mr. Tilak's mission is to collect the unclaimed tar and gravel and fill potholes elsewhere. Not confining himself to his locality, everyday he sweats it out to patch up almost every pothole on his way.
At 64, he prefers to spend most of his time in “shramadan” by repairing potholes on roads. Starting his day at nine in the morning, he travels along different routes and scouts for potholes. The moment, he spots one; he immediately stops his car and puts up two red flags to alert road users.
Using a crowbar, spade, broomsticks and tar mixed gravel, he then takes up the task of filling the pothole-riddled roads, even as passersby continue to watch him puzzled. Though not many lend a helping hand, he carries on regardless. “It gives me great satisfaction as my work prevents road accidents,” feels Tilak, a resident of Hydershakote near Rajendranagar.
After retiring as a senior section engineer from South Central Railway (SCR), Vijayawada, he got a designer engineer's job at Infotech Company, Manikonda. While going to office, he was a witness to few road accidents. “It's heart-rending to see a person losing precious life in the accident. Several youngsters were crushed to death under the wheels of heavy vehicles after their motorcycles skidded off the road due to a crater,” he says.
The Good Samaritan explains such situations do not allow him to concentrate on his job. “Such incidents drive me towards shramadan,” he explains. The retired employee has also addressed a letter to the Home Minister requesting permission for taking tar mixed gravel from roadsides. “I present the photocopies of the letter to the policemen when they try to check my car for carrying crowbar, spade and other material,” he says.
He spends over Rs.500 towards fuel expenses everyday. Impressed with Mr. Tilak's initiative, GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu lauded him for contributing for the society's development.
He directed officials concerned to arrange a vehicle with required material to assist Mr. Tilak to take up patch up works effectively.
Keywords: GHMC
"His mission is great, no doubt. But his means may turn to be culpable in
future. Because he takes the gravel and tar at road-side for his
mission. Really these are the properties of PWD, thus he is 'grabbing
the public property'. As our authorities are blind for goodness and keen
to torture others, they may charge a legal case against him tomorrow!
from: Christo Chiramukhathu "
He is not GRABBING it...thats a wrong word to use...he is using it to repair...
jay
Great going Sir. However, as Christo has pointed out I hope some idle minds do not play the devil's workshop. As I can see Shri Tilak has taken care of the process. Is it possible for GHMC Commissioner Mr. Babu to create a framework whereby more Samaritans can take up serving the society without the potential legal & other procedural hassles?
Very Much Appreciable. It is like Mr. Tilak is remainding us our
Fundamental Duties as citizens of this Great Country. We all Should
directly or indirectly advocate some of the habits like the above.
Hindu has once again done a good job by publishing this . Requesting the
Print Media of "Hindu" to put on similar stories in the future which
would inflict upon the "social Responsibiltiy" of the citizems
I have seen him toiling in hot sun with another young guy...working for the road near DLF Building. It's nice to read here about him...good work indeed.
I've seen him working in Madhapur area of Hyderabad. Its really a great
great mission of him. His efforts have helped a lot of motorists.
In days of Social Networking, what needs to be done is Facebook organization or Twitter group who will promote this on wider scale. There are many people youth, retired employees who are capable and are willing to lend a helping hand. All they need is a leader and a mission. I hope that Sri Tilak who is setting a personal example, be source for much larger organization. start in one city and expand... this is what is Self Reliance.
And while this nation will still remain on the path of its own self-constructed doom and will be looked down by its generations as a pothole of corruption, immorality, prejudices, travesty and above all else the unwillingness of its people to change, there will be those fighting the evils of the society and the nation to make this a better place to live and prosper and for this reason solely, hope was never lost during the struggle for independence, hope is not lost for curbing the nations of its flaws, and hope will never be lost for bringing the revolution. Respect, Mr. Bala Gangadhara Tilak. Period.
Hats off to Shri Katnam Bala Gangadhar Tilak! This gentleman is spending his time and money to make roads accident free. However one is stumped by his name which resembles the name of late Bal Gangadhar Tilak ( 1856-1920) the great leader of India's freedom struggle. I am eager to know a little history behind his name.
Such efforts needs recognition , public awareness and
administrative support otherwise what should motivate such people
to remain forward and continue their noble work .
His mission is great, no doubt. But his means may turn to be culpable in
future. Because he takes the gravel and tar at road-side for his
mission. Really these are the properties of PWD, thus he is 'grabbing
the public property'. As our authorities are blind for goodness and keen
to torture others, they may charge a legal case against him tomorrow!
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